Monday, January 12, 2009

Citizen

Now that my travels have come to a close, I am not sure of what to make of this blog—or of myself, really. The title of this writing, “Citizen del Mundo”—“Citizen of the World” holds some implications that I didn’t intend, or address initially in the writing of my travels. To be a citizen implies a certain relationship that goes beyond simply living somewhere.

A citizen has a relationship with their nation or community. In return for rights and opportunities provided by the community, a citizen must give something in return. “Active citizens” are obligated to participate in the improvement of their communities—through voting, working, volunteering, consciousness and even economic participation. Citizenship goes beyond residence.

And so, I have decided to be a better “Citizen of the World.” As a citizen of LA, I am doing my best by working with Project Literacy. To be a citizen of the world I have resolved to be more aware of the world community, by reading news and participating in the many cultural events available to me at UCLA. In this way, I can hold on to my world experiences and hopefully contribute to the world experiences of other citizens of this Earth.